Outlook: For the second straight week, Adena welcomes a conference opponent to Frankort. And for the second straight week, the Warriors will have their hands full. The Shermans seem to have hit their stride with two convincing wins over Waverly and Piketon, both of which came in 40-point outings. Isaac Little and Jamarcus Carroll have become a bonafide backfield duo, combining for 550 rushing yards on just 124 carries … an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. The team has scored a total of 15 touchdowns, Little and Carroll are responsible for 13. In last week’s win over Piketon, Carroll rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll likely be the focal point of Adena’s defensive game plan. Having said that, the Warriors have multiple weapons of their own, including quarterback Preston Sykes and running backs Dalton Metzger and Nate Throckmorton. In the Week 4 loss to Paint Valley, Throckmorton had 103 rushing yards and a score on 18 attempts. Adena will be facing a defense that’s allowed just 21 points in the past two weeks. No matter how you look at it, you can call it a key SVC tilt at Adena.

Unioto’s Chris Scaggs has two touchdowns this season, one rushing and one receiving.CREDIT: Jenny Campbell/SOSA

Westfall (2-2) at Zane Trace (1-3), 7 p.m.

Last year’s result: Zane Trace beat Westfall 17-0.

Last five years: Pioneers lead series 5-0 and has outscored Mustangs, 185-36.

Outlook: Put simply, Zane Trace has had little to no trouble with Westfall in recent years. The Pioneers, while outscoring the Mustangs 185-36 in the past five seasons, haven’t lost to Westfall since the 2012 season … a 34-19 decision at the hands of a 9-2, playoff-bound Mustangs team. However, this year could certainly be the one where that losing streak ends. With quarterback Marcus Whaley and running back Trent Davis in the backfield, Westfall has the athletes to hurt opposing defenses. Last week’s 28-16 loss to undefeated Southeastern was closer than the final score indicates … the Mustangs had their chances to pull within one score in the second half but couldn’t finish the job. Zane Trace is coming off its first win this season, a 38-6 decision over Huntington. In that victory, senior Cougar Stauffer totaled 93 rushing yards and two scores on 16 carries while Gabe Shanton 7-of-12 through the air for 117 yards and two touchdowns. With momentum being the key prize up for grabs, expect a good one in Kinnikinnick.

Wilmington (1-3) at Washington (3-1), 7 p.m.

Last year’s result: Did not play.

Last five years: Hurricane leads series 3-0 (the two have not played since 2016) and has outscored Blue Lions, 162-57.

Outlook: While Wilmington’s record may look the way it does, don’t be so quick to overlook the Hurricane. Wilmington’s schedule hasn’t been a cake walk by any means as the team owns losses to Valley View, Vandalia Butler and Minford … three programs with a combined record of 10-2. But the Hurricane could certainly have beaten one of those opponents if it wasn’t for turnovers. To be more specific, the Hurricane have committed 10 turnovers over the past two weeks. Last week, Cam Coomer ran for 157 yards in the loss to Minford while starting running back Malik Scott exited the game early. He’ll be back this week. As for Washington, its three wins have come against opponents with a combined record of 1-11. In last week’s 33-0 win, Jerome Mack and Ethan Rogers-Wright combined to finish 19-of-31 through the air for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jameson McCane rushed for 73 yards and Mack added 68 more. As that group and their teammates look to go 4-1, they’ll have to do so against an opponent that’s much better than their record. That can spell trouble if focus is lost.

Western Brown (0-4) at Miami Trace (2-2), 7 p.m.

Last year’s result: Did not play.

Last five years: N/A

Last week’s results: Western Brown lost to Jackson 56-21, Miami Trace lost to Marlington 52-19.

Outlook: The front end of Western Brown’s schedule has done the Broncos a total of zero favors. With losses to Hillsboro, Little Miami, Ross and Jackson, Western Brown stands winless. Each of those losses have came to teams with at least three wins. In last week’s loss to Jackson, Western Brown hung right with the Ironmen until midway through the second half. Miami Trace is coming off a blowout loss to a good Marlington team, one where the Panthers managed to put up 356 yards of offense. A quick glance at the box score would suggest Miami Trace was in the game. But when you come to the four fumbles lost, it spells out a different story. The Panthers had four different players with at least 40 yards rushing last week. They’ll likely try and use the same game plan, and attempt to take care of the ball, against Western Brown at home.

McClain (1-3) at Eastern (1-3), 7 p.m.

Last year’s result: Did not play.

Last five years: N/A

Last week’s results: McClain lost to East Clinton 26-7, Eastern beat Manchester 45-6.

Outlook: A week after McClain beat Zane Trace 51-50, Eastern got its first win with a 39-point victory over Manchester. Now, the Eagles host the Tigers in a game where somebody claims their second victory. McClain will look to Braden Wright and Dalton Mischal to guide its offense while Eastern calls upon Wyatt Hines and Dillon Mattox to do the same. Before last week’s win, Eastern had allowed at least 52 points in each of its losses … 56-13, 52-46 and 62-26. McClain’s defense hasn’t been much better, allowing 41, 35, 50 and 26 to start the season. What does that mean? A shootout could be in the making.

Oak Hill (2-2) at Nelsonville-York (2-2), 7 p.m.

Outlook: We’ll just start with the obvious: if Oak Hill wants to win, the Oaks will need to stop Buckeyes running back Keegan Wilburn. The Ohio University commit has done what’s expected of him throughout the first four weeks, tallying 201 rushing yards … on just 20 carries … 167 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. He’s enemy number one. However, he isn’t the only weapon the Buckeyes possess. Senior Mikey Seel can certainly fling the ball around. The quarterback has completed 46-of-89 pass attempts for 697 yards and owns a 9-2 touchdowns-interception ratio. In other words, Nelsonville-York has the means to light up the scoreboard. While Oak Hill’s defense is certainly tested, its offense will have to keep pace. Last week was a good start and a great momentum builder heading into Week 5. The 42 points were the Oaks’ highest scoring output this year. What’s troubling is that they’ve surrendered point totals of 35, 42 and 25 this season. To win, they’ll have to play much tighter against Wilburn and Nelsonville-York.

Oak Hill’s Noah Donley has been an imperative part of the Oaks’ offensive success this fall.CREDIT: Renee Nemeth/SOSA

Minford (4-0) at East Clinton (2-2), 7 p.m.

Outlook: The weeks keep passing by and Minford keeps proving its ability to run the ball down its opponents’ throats. In the Falcons’ latest win, they posted 170 team rushing yards and then let quarterback Elijah Vogelsong show off his arm, to the tune of 230 passing yards. Matthew Risner was big in the win, catching five balls for 110 yards and two scores, Vogelsong completed 12-of-19 passes, and Ty Wiget was Ty Wiget with another 130 yards on the ground, extending his 100-yard streak to all four games this fall. Because of the aforementioned names, East Clinton will be tested each play. The Astros’ Week 1 loss to Clinton-Massie, a 59-0 final, exposed their rush defense. However, that was now a month ago and it looks as if they’ve patched up the holes. We’ll find out for sure when Wiget and company pay a visit in Week 5.

Valley (3-1) at Northwest (2-2), 7 p.m.

Outlook: As Northwest unveils a new facility, it’s only fitting that Valley be the opponent they welcome in … after all, Northwest has been playing at Valley’s home field for much of the fall while the finishing touches were being put on its home turf. The Indians will bring with them a three-game winning streak and momentum after last week’s 55-14 win over Circleville. Northwest will attempt to bounce back after a 42-25 loss to Oak Hill. Northwest loves to run the football and, so far, Valley has done a decent job of stopping the run. Put aside Week 1’s loss to Portsmouth and the Indians have surrendered just 40 points this season. Even in that loss, Trojans running back Talyn Parker scored five times but only rushed for 21 yards on 17 attempts. It’ll be strength vs. strength in McDermott, which should be fun to watch.

Green (3-1) at Fairview, Ky. (1-3), 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: In the Bobcats’ last two games, they’ve outscored their opponents 92-8. Granted, Green has done that against two teams that are a combined 1-7. But beating a team to a pulp, in any sense, builds confidence heading into a game like this week’s. Fairview lost 50-6 to Symmes Valley last week, and 54-18 and 54-12 earlier this season. If we’re just looking at final scores alone, Green may run away with another one to improve to 4-1. But that’s why they play the game. Green’s lone loss came to Cincinnati College Prep, a 54-14 drubbing in Week 2. Since, the Bobcats have looked like a different team. A win over Fairview would go a long way heading into Week 6’s Southern Ohio Conference showdown with Symmes Valley.

Amanda-Clearcreek’s Jayse Miller scores a touchdown earlier this season in a 32-14 win at Unioto.CREDIT: Jenny Campbell/SOSA

Amanda-Clearcreek (4-0) at Waverly (3-1), 7 p.m.

Outlook: If Jackson wasn’t hosting Wheelersburg, this would easily be the Game of the Week. Amanda-Clearcreek comes into the contest with wins over Independence, Unioto, Liberty Union and Fairfield Union. The Aces have outscored their opponents 147-55 and have used an in-your-face style of play to do so. Waverly has produced huge offensive numbers, scoring 124 total points (31 points per game) and tallying 1,510 yards of total offense. But the story for the Tigers has been running back Payton Shoemaker, who’s ran like a man possessed all year long. Shoemaker’s season totals stand at 964 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Last week alone, he galloped for 362 yards and three scores. Stopping him will be at the top of Amanda’s game plan in a game that could be an instant classic.

Follow Southern Ohio Sports Authority’s live game updates from Amanda-Clearcreek at Waverly (@dw1509), Wheelersburg at Jackson (@SirBrockNetter), Unioto at Adena (@CoconutWallpapa) and Westfall at Zane Trace (@ClayArcher7673) Friday on Twitter at hashtag #SOSA.

Then be sure to visit sohiosa.com Friday night and Saturday morning for complete Week 5 coverage.

About Derrick Webb

Derrick is SOSA's chief content coordinator and has worked for the Chillicothe Gazette, the Portsmouth Daily Times and Eleven Warriors.
He's a 13-time award-winning journalist, a self-proclaimed baseball purist, a suffering Bengals fan and has never met a stranger.